Flexible elbow braces are used by athletes and other persons engaged in vigorous physical activity to protect the elbow from injury and to avoid exacerbation of existing injury. The elbow is one of the most heavily used joints of the body, as it is used in any activity that involves the use of the hands, such as throwing, striking, carrying, or swinging a tennis racquet or baseball bat. The elbow is also a common subject of injury, due to the relatively high levels of stress it must bear. During normal daily activities, in occupations involving physical labor, and especially during strenuous sports, the elbow can undergo abnormal motions as a result of quick changes in direction, falls, fatigue, uneven surfaces, or impacts. These abnormal motions can cause sprains or more serious injuries, including dislocation, stretching, or tearing of the tissues that make up the elbow.
Devices to protect the elbow against abnormal motions have been used for many years, in a variety of specific embodiments which vary in their abilities to protect against the different types of abnormal motions. One such elbow brace is shown in FIGS. 6-8 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,413. However, the protections afforded by these devices against abnormal motion are often accompanied by a reduction in range or ease of normal motion, and may be accompanied by other undesirable aspects such as poor performance, added weight, difficulty of application, fit, cost, and/or appearance.
For these reasons, there has long been motivation to find an improved elbow brace which can protect and support the elbow without affecting the range or ease of normal motion, while avoiding the undesirable aspects of prior art devices.